Monday, November 24, 2008

Tor.com and the Mountain Goats

This time it's just a short love letter to The Mountain Goats, my new favorite band.

I've blogged about this band - and the hook of giving out free mp3s in generating sales - before here on Bowing to the Future.

Meanwhile, a new track, off the vinyl-only Black Pear Tree, is entitled “Thank You Mario But Our Princess is in Another Castle,” and you can download it here.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lou,

Darnielle lists James Sallis as an influence. Sallis lives, writes, and teaches in my town. He's also in a band (I saw 'em play Saturday) -- Three Legged Dog. They play old weird Americana -- murder ballads, Carter Family songs, blues, and strange calypso tunes about 7 skeletons being unearthed in a backyard (catch tune!)

Jim Sallis plays guitar, resonator steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and god know's what else. He's good. They're all good.

Robert

Lou Anders said...

Fascinating. Any of Sallis' band's work online?

Anonymous said...

It is. The band's site is at
www.three-legged-dog.org

and Jim Sallis's author page is at www.jamessallis.com


Robert

James Enge said...

I have to say: I liked the Mountain Goats but I am now officially crazy about Kaki King. I like that thumpy sound she gets out of the guitar.

Lou Anders said...

Robert - thanks for this, I will check it out soon.
James - that EP is awesome!

Unknown said...

James, if you like Kaki King you should check out Antoine Dufour and the late Michael Hedges. They use a similar tapping/slapping technique on the acoustic guitar.

Lou Anders said...

Ah, Michael Hedges. I've got one of his Wyndam Hill CDs around here somewhere.

James Enge said...

Hedges was exactly who her sound made me think of. I'll have to check out Dufour: thanks!

Might have to grab the EP--it's been years (decades?) since I bought a vinyl record new, but I always liked the vinyl sound.

Unknown said...

James and Lou,

Michael Hedges is known primarily as an instrumentalist, but he was also an excellent singer. I highly recommend his Live on the Double Planet album. In addition to his instrumentals and original vocal songs, the album includes mind blowing versions of "All Along the Watchtower", the Beatles "Come Together", and surprisingly, Sheila E.'s "A Love Bizarre".

Lou Anders said...

Got it. Will listen to it now, since you bring it up.